Stuck in Purgatory
NEED TO KNOW Stuck in Purgatory CAMBODIA Thirty years ago, diplomats signed the Paris Peace Agreement to bring an end to civil […]
Leadership in Retrograde
NEED TO KNOW Leadership in Retrograde SUDAN After widespread protests and violence, President Omar al-Bashir stepped down as president of Sudan in […]
Blah, Blah, Blah
NEED TO KNOW Blah, Blah, Blah WORLD Recently, Larry Fink, the chief executive of Black Rock, one of the world’s biggest asset […]
Justice’s Clock
NEED TO KNOW Justice’s Clock GERMANY Seventy-five years ago, the victorious allies of World War II concluded the trials in Nuremberg that […]
Headwinds
NEED TO KNOW Headwinds WORLD The coronavirus pandemic disrupted global energy supplies. Now it’s not clear if world leaders can fix the […]
A Place Called Rock Bottom
NEED TO KNOW A Place Called Rock Bottom LEBANON As befits a widow who follows local Muslim traditions in Lebanon, 32-year-old Ammouneh […]
On a High Wire
NEED TO KNOW On a High Wire INDONESIA Indonesian President Joko Widodo – known as Jokowi – is urging the world’s rich […]
Fait Accompli
NEED TO KNOW Fait Accompli UZBEKISTAN When voters in Uzbekistan head to the polls to elect a new president on Oct. 24, […]
Revolution Redux
NEED TO KNOW Revolution Redux TUNISIA Tunisian Najla Bouden Ramadhane recently became the Arab world’s first female prime minister. That’s a historic […]
Life and Death
NEED TO KNOW Life and Death COLOMBIA Suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Martha Sepúlveda opted to die. She scheduled the procedure […]
Of Flyovers and Squid
NEED TO KNOW Of Flyovers and Squid TAIWAN Chinese President Xi Jinping recently called for the peaceful unification of his country with […]
Tiny Enclave, Loud Roar
NEED TO KNOW Tiny Enclave, Loud Roar SAN MARINO One of the smallest countries in the world – its population is around […]
A Working Democracy
NEED TO KNOW A Working Democracy CAPE VERDE The people of Cape Verde work hard to improve their country. Some have formed […]
Pop Goes the Bubble
NEED TO KNOW Pop Goes the Bubble CHINA China’s real estate bubble is bursting. As Reuters explained, Evergrande has acquired $300 billion […]
Box Opened
NEED TO KNOW Box Opened WORLD Svetlana Krivonogikh grew up working odd jobs in St. Petersburg, Russia. Today, however, she lives in […]
Going Nowhere Fast
NEED TO KNOW Going Nowhere Fast SOUTH SUDAN Recent fighting over cattle rustling, kidnappings and revenge killings has claimed scores of lives […]
The Iberian Model
NEED TO KNOW The Iberian Model SPAIN Spain has decided to give third doses of coronavirus vaccines to seniors and others who […]
Cold Shoulders
NEED TO KNOW Cold Shoulders IRAQ Still stabilizing after years of occupation and civil war following the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq […]
Dissonance and Dreadlocks
NEED TO KNOW Dissonance and Dreadlocks CZECH REPUBLIC The dreadlock-sporting leader of the Pirate Party in the Czech Republic, former software engineer […]
Me, too!
NEED TO KNOW Me, too! AFGHANISTAN Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar recently told Western leaders that he and his forces will treat […]
Hostage Diplomacy
NEED TO KNOW Hostage Diplomacy CANADA Recently a plane from China carrying Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor arrived in Calgary. At […]
Death of a Salesman
NEED TO KNOW Death of a Salesman PERU Peru will cremate the remains of Abimael Guzmán, the founder of the Shining Path […]
Baby Steps
NEED TO KNOW Baby Steps QATAR For the first time in history, Qatari voters will go to the polls to pick two-thirds […]